A self-styled chief commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Peer Panchal Regiment and his close associate was shot dead by security forces in Kulgam district of South Kashmir on Thursday.

A self-styled chief commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Peer Panchal Regiment and his close associate was shot dead by security forces in Kulgam district of South Kashmir on Thursday.

The militants were confronted by a joint search party of Special Operations Group of local police and 9 Rashtriya Rifles in Dabdawan forest of Kulgam, 70 kms from here, around 3.30 am and asked to surrender, officials said.

The ultras opened fire and in the ensuing gunbattle which lasted till 7.45 am both the militants were killed, they said.

The deceased militant has been identified as Saddam.

Two AK assault rifles, six magazines and a large quantity of assorted ammunition were recovered from them.

Saddam was active in the Peer Panchal range for the last one decade and had taken over as the self-styled chief commander of the outfit after the killing of Abu Dujana last year.

The killing of Saddam comes close on the heels of gunning down of two militants - self-styled district commander of north Kashmir Pasha and his close associate and former Lashker-e-Toiba self-styled commander Mussa - at Boniyari-Sumbal yesterday. An Army major and a Naik were killed in the encounter.